Gill Head Farm

View prices & book 9.5 1,188 reviews
Camp life
Camp life
Exterior
Tent pitches
Tent piches
Pitches
Gorgeous views
Tent pitches
Exterior
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Exterior
Tent pitches
Tent piches

  • Working hill farm in the north of the Lake District National Park
  • A 15-minute drive from Keswick and Penrith; 10 minutes from Ullswater
  • Stunning views of Blencathra and the Northern Fells
Check out those views… family-run Gill Head Farm is a scenic place indeed, with a backdrop of Blencathra and the Northern Fells. And it’s a cinch to get to as well – this site on the banks of Trout Beck is less than a mile from the A66, so you can get your fix of proper rural time without having to navigate miles of winding lanes. It’s often said that visitors to the Lake District National Park are spoilt for choice when it comes to activities – and that’s certainly true at this Cumbria site. Days of hikes, horse riding, watersports, climbing, visiting historic houses and wild swimming are among the many options around here. If you don’t know where to start, have a chat with the owners – as outdoorsy folk themselves they’re happy to help plan your adventures and offer up local tips. Whatever you get up to by day, it also must be noted that those views make a great setting for an evening by the campfire – handily, there are firepits to hire on site, and bags of logs and kindling for sale. What if it’s not campfire weather? Retreat to the indoor communal area which has comfy seating, a dining area and a little kitchen area (with microwaves, kettles, a fridge and a freezer) – or take the 15-minute walk to the local pub. To stock up on food for your barbecues/picnics there are plenty of shops in Penrith and Keswick, both 15 minutes’ drive away (or get to Keswick on the bus). Back at base, facilities include a laundry room and a shower/toilet block that was done up in 2019 to offer spacious and clean amenities. Please note that group bookings are strictly not allowed at Gill Head Farm. Due to the rural location, the wifi also does not cover the whole site and is limited to a hotspot in the communal room.

Site type

Touring caravan pitches 8
Motorhome pitches 8
Lodges, cabins, pods or huts 11
Tent pitches 10
Open now
Opens 21 March
Please note
  • Group bookings of 2 or more units (e.g. tent, touring caravan, motorhome or accommodation hire) travelling together are not permitted via Pitchup.com.
  • Group bookings of 3 or more adults are not permitted (couples and immediate family members excepted).
  • Single-sex bookings of 4 or more people (excluding couples) are not permitted via Pitchup.com.
  • No bachelor/bachelorette parties permitted via Pitchup.com.
  • Bookings must not be for more than 14 consecutive nights.
  • The park caters for families (immediate members) and couples only - bookings from all other forms of groups are not accepted.
  • At least one of the party members must be aged 21 or over.
  • Minimum spacing of 4 metres between pitches.
  • This is a quiet park: no music is allowed.
  • If making a fire, the fuel, logs and coal have to be purchased on site.
  • Guests are advised to bring a good quality flashlight with them as parts of the park are unlit.
  • No naked flames are allowed inside the hired accommodation units.
  • No electric barbecues allowed.
  • Wifi is available only in communal room and does not reach individual pitches.

Languages spoken

English

Open from Fri, 21 Mar to

Pitch types & availability

Accommodation

Tent pitchesTouring caravan pitchesMotorhome pitchesLodges, cabins, pods or hutsCaravans for hireRent a tent
Choose your dates
2 adults
0 children
Other options

Reviews

9.5

Overall rating from 1,188 Pitchup.com customers

  • 78%
    10
  • 2%
    9
  • 13%
    8
  • 0%
    7
  • 3%
    6
  • 0%
    5
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    4
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    3
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    2
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    1
Location
 10
Value for money
 9
Accommodation
 10
Facilities / Activities
 9
Customer service
 9
Child friendliness
 10
Cleanliness
 9
Wifi
 7
Spectacular sceneryPeaceful

96% would recommend this site to a friend

94% would stay here again

What customers say

Gill Head Farm gets top marks for its awesome Lake District spot, with great views and easy access to sights. Guests love the super clean facilities, including loos and showers, plus the friendly, helpful staff. It's a family-friendly site with big pitches and good amenities for a chilled, cracking stay.

Summary AI-generated from Pitchup.com customer reviews

Reviews page 1 of 119
Arrival date (latest first)

Lovely campsite with fabulous views, clean facilities and great extras

Overall

8 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 8
Accommodation
 8
Facilities / Activities
 8
Customer service
 9
Child friendliness
 9
Cleanliness
 9
Wifi
 6
Francesca J.

Electric optional grass tent pitch

Liked Lovely campsite with fabulous views. Really nice touch with the communal area where there are facilities such as fridge, freezer, kettle and washing machine.

Really good play area for children too.

Toilets and showers clean.

Disliked Not being able to park right next to the tent meant you were looking at quite a lot of cars in the central section.

Recommend to friends Visit again

We have been coming here for the last 4 years and it's just fantastic!

Overall

9 out of 10
Location
 9
Value for money
 10
Accommodation
 9
Facilities / Activities
 8
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 7
Cleanliness
 9
Wifi
 5
Kerry D.

Camping pod

Liked Lovely views, clean and friendly staff

Recommend to friends Visit again

Fantastic site in a great location for exploring the Northern Lake District.…

Overall

9 out of 10
Location
 9
Value for money
 10
Accommodation
 9
Facilities / Activities
 10
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 9
Wifi
 No rating
Darren W.

Non-electric grass tent pitch

Liked Fantastic site in a great location for exploring the Northern Lake District.

Staff were friendly and the facilities were clean and well maintained. The addition of a communal common room was a welcome change from the tent in an evening.

Just be careful if following a Sat-Nav from Keswick as mine took me down a small road rather than waiting to turn towards Troutbeck off the main road.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Lovely location, clean and tidy site, very peaceful with amazing views

Overall

9 out of 10
Location
 9
Value for money
 9
Accommodation
 9
Facilities / Activities
 9
Customer service
 9
Child friendliness
 5
Cleanliness
 No rating
Wifi
 No rating
Sai H.

Camping pod (no pets)

Liked Clean and tidy site, easy to access, close to a number of amazing hikes, Rookins activity centre and a lovely farm shop (Basecamp)

Disliked nothing!

Recommend to friends Visit again

Central location to popular site seeing areas of the Lake District. Friendly…

Overall

8 out of 10
Location
 8
Value for money
 9
Accommodation
 No rating
Facilities / Activities
 6
Customer service
 9
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 9
Wifi
 5
Paul M.

Electric grass and gravel touring pitch

Liked Central location to popular site seeing areas of the Lake District.

Friendly staff.

Great views.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Nice overnight stay

Overall

8 out of 10
Location
 9
Value for money
 8
Accommodation
 8
Facilities / Activities
 8
Customer service
 7
Child friendliness
 8
Cleanliness
 8
Wifi
 2
Anonymous

Camping pod (no pets)

Liked Beautiful location, reasonably priced accommodation. Our youngest daughter really enjoyed the little play area and seeing the chickens roaming around. No late night noise which was great for us. Hired the fire pit which was great and also had breakfast the next morning at the farm shop cafe nearby which was tasty.

Disliked No real instructions on where to go when you arrive but did find it ok. Didn't realise there was under floor heating as we arrived a bit later and didn't notice the thermostat on the wall, saw it in the morning and it had been on full all night making the pod very hot.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Great camping site

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Accommodation
 No rating
Facilities / Activities
 8
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 10
Cleanliness
 8
Wifi
 10
Laura F.

Non-electric grass tent pitch

Liked Love this site. We have been here many times and love the relaxed, friendly vibe. The family that run the site and farm are always so nice and helpful. Beautiful views and easy access to lovely walks and the surrounding areas. Site is respectful of quiet times in the main.

Recommend to friends Visit again

A good location for exploring the Lake District. The campsite is very…

Overall

9 out of 10
Location
 8
Value for money
 8
Accommodation
 9
Facilities / Activities
 8
Customer service
 No rating
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 4
Anonymous

Camping pod (no pets)

Liked A good location for exploring the Lake District. The campsite is very clean, the toilets and showers work perfectly. The owners are very friendly.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Location was great, was in the quieter part of the site next…

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Accommodation
 10
Facilities / Activities
 10
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 10
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 3
Lee E.

Non-electric grass tent pitch (riverside)

Liked Location was great, was in the quieter part of the site next to a river and a small waterfall. Showers were really clean, plenty of toilets and clean drinking water, staff in the reception were lovely and there was a communal room to charge devices etc. views were incredible all around the site. Would definitely come back!

Disliked Nothing really. Signal & WiFi wasn’t great but that’s to be expected and the whole point was to switch off anyway :)

Recommend to friends Visit again

Great site with clean facilities and friendly staff

Overall

9 out of 10
Location
 9
Value for money
 10
Accommodation
 9
Facilities / Activities
 9
Customer service
 9
Child friendliness
 10
Cleanliness
 9
Wifi
 6
Sue F.

Electric optional grass tent pitch

Liked Great views, relaxed family friendly atmosphere, clean showers and toilets, great little shop. Nice being able to pitch our tent wherever we liked although imagine this could have been tricky if it had been busier when we arrived. Made to order pizzas were great on one night we were there.

Disliked Parking was ok when we arrived but got very busy towards the end of our stay.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Features

Dogs allowed

Campfires allowed

Leisure on site

Bar or club house Cycle hire Evening entertainment Fishing Fitness centre Games room Indoor swimming pool Kids' club On-site restaurant/cafe Outdoor swimming pool Play area TV room Take away Tennis Watersports

Amenities on site

Bath available Car parking by pitch/unit Composting toilet Dog park Drying room Food shop Free wifi Ice pack freezing Internet access Launderette Parent & baby washroom Pick-up from public transport Portable toilet Pub toilets Public telephone Shower available Toilet block Washing-up area Wifi

Groups welcome

D. of E. welcome Family friendly Motorcycle friendly Rallies welcome Single-sex groups welcome Student groups welcome

Rules

Barbecue provided Barbecues allowed Campfires allowed Commercial vehicles allowed Dogs allowed Dogs allowed all year

Themes

Peaceful Remote location Spectacular scenery Walkers' paradise Wildlife haven

Utilities

Charging facilities Chemical disposal Communal freezer Communal fridge Electric car charging point(s) Gas cylinders available Recycling available Renewable energy

Nearby amenities

Bar nearby Dog walk nearby Nearby farmers' market Public transport nearby Shop nearby

Type

Farm Medium (26-50 pitches)

Nearby leisure

Canoeing/kayaking nearby Climbing nearby Cycle hire nearby Cycling nearby Fishing nearby Golf nearby Horse riding nearby Indoor pool nearby Mountain biking nearby Outdoor pool nearby Restaurant nearby Sailing nearby Tennis nearby Watersports nearby

Touring and motorhomes

Seasonal pitches

Location

Gill Head Farm

Troutbeck

Penrith

Cumbria

England

CA11 0ST

Directions

Timezone

Europe/London +0100 (GMT+01:00)

GPS

54.6334°N
2.96195°W

Nearest transport

Coach
12.2 km Bus Station
13.5 km Rail Station
20.3 km Lakeside House for Dove Cottage
Rail
13.5 km Penrith North Lakes Rail Station
20.4 km Langwathby Rail Station
21.2 km Lazonby & Kirkoswald Rail Station
Ferry
9.1 km Pooley Bridge Ullswater Ferry Landing
9.4 km Howtown Ullswater Ferry Landing
10 km Glenridding Ullswater Ferry Landing

Please note: All distances on this page are calculated "as the crow flies" - please check actual distance depending on your mode of travel using the Get directions button above.

Local attractions

Ullswater is the nearest of the lakes at 10 minutes’ drive away, so that’s as good a place to start as any – stop by at Aira Force waterfall on your way down there, then get down to the lake itself for waterside walks, steamer cruises and various watersports – or even a wild swim if you’re feeling brave. Over on the banks of Derwentwater, Keswick (15 minutes’ drive) is another good place to explore, with a brewery, The Puzzling Place and the Derwent Pencil Museum as well as boat trips and paddleboards to hire. Walkers of all varieties have much to choose from around here, from gentle lakeside wanders to uphill scrambles at Blencathra and Helvellyn, both of which are close by. The folk on the farm are happy to suggest routes to suit – or point you towards the likes of Dalemain Mansion (15 minutes), Mirehouse & Gardens (20 minutes) or Lowther Castle (25 minutes) for stately-home strolls.

Water quality at nearby bathing waters

Name Distance Type 2020201920182017
Allonby 33.9 km Sea N/AGoodGoodGood
Seascale 43.1 km Sea N/AGoodGoodGood
St Bees 44.6 km Sea N/AExcellentExcellentExcellent

Data source: European Environment Agency

Must see

Dalemain Historic House & Gardens 9.4 km

Castlerigg Stone Circle 9.4 km

Ullswater Steamers 10 km

The Rheged Centre 11.6 km

Mirehouse Historic House and Gardens 14.6 km

National Trust

Grasmere and Great Langdale 22.1 km

Acorn Bank Garden and Watermill 23.4 km

Townend 25 km

Wordsworth House and Garden 26.4 km

Windermere and Troutbeck 27.3 km

Cycle routes

Find local routes on the National Cycle Network - over 12,000 miles of cycling routes.

Other

Blencathra Classic - Sharp Edge and Narrow Edge 3.7 km

Mungrisdale - Bannerdale Crags 3.7 km

Threlkeld - Blencathra - Sharp Edge - Scales - Threlkeld 6.2 km

Threlkeld, Westcoe and Keswick Railway 6.3 km

Aira Force - Dockray - Dowthwaitehead - Aira Force 7.2 km

Please note: All distances on this page are calculated "as the crow flies" - please check actual distance depending on your mode of travel using the Get directions button above.

Nearest sites

Unfortunately, we have no nearby bookable sites.

Want to know more about camping in The Lake District and Cumbria?

Frequently asked questions

  • Does Gill Head Farm have a swimming pool? No View all features
  • Is Gill Head Farm dog friendly? Yes View all features
  • What attractions are near Gill Head Farm? Ullswater is the nearest of the lakes at 10 minutes’ drive away, so that’s as good a place to start as any – stop by at Aira Force waterfall on your way … Read more
  • When can I check in and check out of Gill Head Farm?
    Camping and touring
    Arrive:  1 p.m. –  7 p.m.
    Depart by:  11:30 a.m.
    On-site accommodation
    Arrive:  1 p.m. –  7 p.m.
    Depart by:  10:30 a.m.
    Read more
  • How much does it cost to stay at Gill Head Farm? From R667,33 (for 1 night, 2 adults) - prices may change depending on your dates and party.